Fluid dispensing device



B. JoHNsl-:N y FLUID DISPENSING DEVICE May 25j,- 1943.

Filed Aug. l1 1, 193s 4 sheets-sheet 1 VENToR.

A TTORNEYS.

May 25, 1943. B. JoHNsl-:N 2,319,867

FLUID nI'sPENsNG 'DEVICE Filed Aug. 1,1, 193s 4 sheets-sheet 3 May 25, 1943. B, -gn-{NSEN 2,319,867

ELUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Aug. Al1, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 w51 QMW@ ATTORNEYS Patented May 25, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID DISPENSING DEVICE Bjornulf Johnsen, Summit, N. J. Application August 11, 1938, Serial No. 224,310

3 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to fluid dispensing devices such as are adapted to dispense gasoline and other liquid fuels at roadside service stations and the like, of the kind in which the elevation of fluid, as from a tank beneath the ground, is effected by means of a pump or other flow establishing means.

In ,-iiuid dispensing devices of this type heretofore known, the volume of iiuid delivered from the nozzle has generally been indicated either by a pointer travelling over a graduated dial or by a graduated dial travelling past an index or fixed pointer. In either method of indication, the relative movement between the pointer and dial is effected from a fluid metering device, usually one which has a shaft rotating in proportion to the amount of :duid passing through the meter.

In such fluid dispensing devices the indicating -means has usually been manually returned -to zero.

Recent practice in fluid dispensing devices, Which use the rotation of :the shaft of the meter as a driving means for moving the indicator or dial to indicate the volume of fluid dispensed, has been to add various auxiliary devices for making the fluid ydispensing -devi-ce more reliable in action. Also there has been added computing devices, generally with price control, automatic return to zero often with an automatic motor control and various other devices Ia-ll of which are driven from the meter shaft. These devices have placed such loads on the meter as to affect its accuracy.

One object of the present invention is to provide indicating mechanism for a uid dispensing device in which the indicating means is moved to indicating position by the meter but so that the meter does not carry any appreciable load. Accordingly, the indicating mechanism is very small and light and the indication shownrby the indicating mechanism is projected preferably so Ias to appear in an enlarged form on a screen on one or both sides of the dispensing device. While the enlarged vimage on the screen or screens shows the position of the indicating means at all times, theindicating means itself is so small and light in Weight that the yload on the meter does not aiect its accuracy.

The invention also seeks a structure which is practical from the standpoint of manufacture and use and one which is universally applicable to dispensing apparatus having various other devices cooperating with or forming a part thereof.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing one embodiment by which the invention may be realized, and in which Figure 1 is a view, in side elevation, showing a uid dispensing apparatus to which the invention is applied;

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section, taken on a plane indicated by the yline 2-2 of Figure l and looking in the direction of arrows;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view, in section, of the projection device of Figure 2;

Figure 4 lis a horizontal plan section taken on the broken lines 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section of the one-way drive between the meter and the indication carrier;

Figure 6 is a detail view taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 3 showing the zero stop;

Figure fl shows a modification; and

Figure 8 is a diagram of one electrical circuit which may be employed to carry out this invention. c

In Ithe illustrated embodiment, a dispensing standard or housing l0 of any convenient shape is adapted to support and contain the devi-ces for elevating liquid from a tank (not shown), say, beneath the ground and for measuring it on delivery from a nozzle Il on the end of a hose I2 into, say, the fuel tank of an automobile. Liquid elevating means, such as a pump I4, driven by a motor l5 .establishes the flow of the liquid through the pipe I6 to the meter I1 and from thence to the connection I8 for the hose I2. The pump I4, motor I5 and meter I'I are indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1.l In the front of the housing I0 and at a desirable elevation where it may be easily visible, or if desired, in both the front and back, the housing'l is formed with an opening I9 which is closed by a ground glass screen or window 20, Figure 3. It is upon the screen 20 that the position or motion of the means indicating the volume of the fiuid delivered is projected by Ithe devices to be hereinafter described.

The meter I'I (Figure 2) has projecting therefrom the usual meter shaft 2| which revolves once, say, for each gallon passing through the meter Il. The meter shaft 2| is coupled to a shaft 22 by means of the sleeve 23. The shaft 22 extends upwardly through bearing 24 conveniently formed in a base or support 25. Fastened on the upper ends of shaft 22 is a pinion gear 2B which meshes with a spur gear 21 rotating freely on a stud 28 mounted in the support and plate 29. Mounted with gear 21 and rotating therewith is a pinion 35. This pinion 33 meshes with a spur gear 3l, which is mounted on a clutch disc 32 which is loose upon shaft 33. Shaft 33 is supported by an upper bearing 35 and a lower bearing 35 which forms part of the casting 25. The clutch disc 32, see Figures 3 and 5, forms one portion of a ball clutch comprising the driving disc 32, the driven disc 35 and disc 3i, which is pressed into engagement by spring 33. This is a well known form of ball clutch. When clutch disc 32 is driven counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 5, it rotates disc 35 in the same direction. Disc 35 is keyed to shaft 33 and due to the ball clutch disc 36, the shaft 33 may be freely rotated in a clockwise direction, as will be understood.

Mounted at the upper end of shaft 33 is a disc d@ which serves for a support for the transparent plate d2 which carries the indices to be projected on the screens 2li at each side of the dispensing standard to indicate the volume of fluid delivered. This index disc need be only a few inches in diameter and in the illustrated embodiment has its surface divided circumferentially into the conventional twenty gallon divisions and into fractions of gallons. If desired, the disc 52 may also carry advertising media 33 visible through another window 2l in the casing lil, see Figure 7.

The projection system may be of the simplest character but must have certain mirrors placed so that the right hand side of the frame will show at the right on both sides of the dispensing standard or in other words that the projected images will be right side up and read in their proper order. This may be accomplished in the following manner: A

The disc 52 is clamped between plate 40 and the removable plate 4d which is screwed on the top of shaft 33. Thus the disc 31 is readily removable and permits interchange of discs. Light from a source of light 55 having a reflector 43 is gathered up by the condensers 4I and is projected through the lens system 58 which may be of any usual form depending on the degree of definition desired.

A shield d3 cuts down the eld of illumination to any desired size or shape.

The direction of the light cone, after leaving the lens system, 42 may then be changed, as at lil, see Figure 3. The light cone on the two mirrors or prisms 47 set at 90 to one another is sent as two light rays toward the screens mounted on the respective sides of the dispensing standard. Above disc 35 is a ratchet 50 (Figures 3 and 4). Spring pressed pawl 55 freely rotatable on shaft 33 on clutch member 35 cooperates with a. single tooth of the ratchet to eiect drive of the clutch member 36 in the opposite direction.

For returning the indicating device to zero, the knurled knob 5l is mounted on shaft 52 on the outside of the casing I3 (Figure 3).' On the shaft 52 is mounted a bevel gear 53 which meshes with a bevel gear 54 integral with ratchet 50. The knob 5I is turned by the operator until the shoulder 51 is stopped by the pawl 58. 'I'his is a zero stop and the indicator' is then at initial position. During this operation, the driving gear 3l remains stationary due to the action of the ball clutch 32, 36. The indicating device 42 is now at zero and ready for another operation.

If desired, the light 39 may be turned on automatically whenever the motor operates. Obviously also the device may be automatically returned to zero, in known manner.

The screens 2U are conveniently of ground glass or some similar material so that the image of the indicia on the transparent disc t2 may be viewed from the outside oi the standard.y The proportions of the optical system are so established that the images appearing on the screens are greatly enlarged from their original size on rows lll and, of course, are now in a reversed position but when viewed from the outside of the standard, the figures will be right side up and not in reverse.

Also mounted on the shaft 22 is a disc 35 having a single tooth 86 adapted each time disc 35 rotates to engage a roller on one arm 88 of a bell crankl lever 88-89. The other arm 89 of this bell crank is connected by link 95 to totalizing mechanism 3l of any desirable characteristic.

While various means 0f initiating the operation of the pump may be resorted to there is shown in the illustrated embonent, referring to Figures 1 and 6, a disposition of parts where in the switch is automatically closed upon the removal of the nozzle from its support and at the same time the light source 3,5 is energized. Provision is also made, as shown in the wiring diagram of Figure 8, to interrupt the operation o f the motor l5 should the circuit through the lamp 55 be interrupted as, for instance,.if the lamp filament should fail. The nozzle l I is carried upon the movable support lll, pivoted as at ll and movable under the influence of the spring l2 about the pivot El so that the support 'EG will turn in a counter-clockwise direction when the nozzle il is moved from the support. Attached to the arm 33 of the lever l0 is a link 'It actuating switch i5 controlling the circuit including the motor i5. This is diagrammatically illustrated also in Figure 8 where the arm 53 and nozzle support is represented as closing the switch l5 in the circuit of the motor l5. It will be apparent, therefore, that when the nozzle i l is removed from its support, the arm 59 will move downwardly and close the switch l5 `thus energizing the motor and commencing the operation of the pump it. To govern the movement of the nozzle support l0, a dash pot l5 is provided also attached to an extension, say, l1, of the nozzle support lll. Thus counter-clockwise movement of the nozzle support is governed when the nozzle is removed from its support and this controlled movement is utilized to energize and complete the motor circuit and illuminate the lamp. The lamp 45 is included in the circuit 19, in parallel with the switch l5 and motor l5. In the circuit 19 are a pair of normally spaced contacts 80 but the dash pot arm 8i carries a pin 82 which, as the lever 10 moves, serves to close the contacts 8D and complete a circuit through the lamp and through an electro-magnet 83 of the relay 83-84. Energization of the electromagnet 83 closes the contacts 85 and completes the circuit including the motor i5 so that the 'motor may operate.

the contacts 84 opened and the motor operation discontinued.

It follows that as the disc 42 is refolved by the meter as before described the moving image will appear on the screens on either side of the dispensing standard in a manner shown in Figure 1 where the stationary pointer 4S will indicate the amount of gasoline which has passed through the meter. The mechanism may now be reset to zero in the manner before described and the operation repeated.

By means of this method of displaying the quantity of uid which has passed through the meter, the figures may be enlarged to any desired size making for ease of reading and ability of the purchaser to read the figures at some distance.

At the same time the transparent disc may be relatively small and of light material as the indicia thereon need be only very small because of the magniiication `to which they are subjected. Such disc, therefore, may be of very light construction placing practically no load on the meter and making for extreme accuracy in the operation and metering of the fluid dispensed. Be-

cause of the extent'of possible magnification, the

indication on the outside of the casing of the quantity of fluid dispensed is almost unlimited,

What is claimed is:

1. In a uid dispensing apparatus having a casing formed with a window and having a shaft rotated by a meter through which iiuid is forced by a motor driven pump to a nozzle carried by a movable support in inoperative position, in cornbination, a light source, means carried by the meter rotated shaft and bearing indicia, said means and said indicia being of relatively diierent light transmitting properties, a screen operatively disposed with respect to the window and to receive the image of indicia on the transparent means formed by the light source, a motor circuit comprising a switch closed by the nozzle support f when in operative position and a relay and a holding circuit in parallel with said motor circuit comprising the light source and the relay whereby should the light source become inoperative the holding circuit is interrupted and the relay deenergized to open the motor circuit and prevent delivery o iiuid to the nozzle.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, metering means, an indicator the movement of which is proportional to the movethus affording maximum visibility to the purchaser.

While the invention has been illustrated as applied to a fluid dispensing apparatus where the motor switch is manually controlled, it will be apparent that the invention is equally applicable to a dispensing apparatus making use of an automatically started and stopped motor.

While the illustrated embodiment makes a showing that images of the same disc may be shown on opposite sides of the same standard, it will be apparent to those familiar with optics that the image of the disc 31 can be thrown on four or more sides of the standard at the same time.

Various modications will occur to those skilled in the art inthe configuration and disposition of the component elements going to make up the invention as a whole as well as in the selection and/or combination of particular elements to accomplish desired purposes and it will be obvious that the indicia which are projected may give readings of the volume or value or both of the fluid dispensed and no limitation is intended by the phraseology of the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying drawings except as indicated in the annexed claims.

ment of the metering means, a movable hose support, a circuit including a motor, a switch and a. relay controlled by the support, a holding circuit comprising a lamp to render the indicator visible. a switch and the aforesaid relay, said last named switch being closed by the movement of the support, said relay being rendered inoperative upon failure of the lamp whereby the motor circuit is opened and thereby stop the motor whenever the indicator is not visible.

,3. In a device ci the character described having a casing formed with a window and having a shaft rotated by metering means and a support, in combination, a light source, means carried by the shaft and bearing indicia, said means and said indicia being of relatively diilerent light transmitting properties, a screen operatively disposed with respect to the window and to receive the image of indicia on the transparent means formed by the light source, a motor circuit comprising a switch closed by the support when in one position and a relay and a holding circuit in parallel with the motor circuit comprising the light source and the relay whereby should the 'light source become inoperative the holding circuit is interrupted and the relay deenergized to open the motor circuit.

BJ ORNULF JOHNSENa 

